The present invention relates generally to the field of electrocoagulative purification of petroleum byproducts such as fracking fluids, drilling mud fluids, and the like as arise at exploration and production of wellheads. The weaknesses of current purification methods used to attempt cleansing of fracking and other petroleum industry byproduct, as well as water cleaning in general, have been known for many years. Currently, massive pieces of equipment that must be assembled on-site and permanently installed in a given location are used. However, these techniques are generally non-portable and therefore of limited utility, especially if a site is tapped out, or other problems are encountered which render a site nonproductive. Existing systems also have shortcomings in their purification success rates, sometimes only removing 80% of particulates, oils, or other impurities once fluid has passed through them. For instance, the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,431,009 B2 is too large and heavy for transit between or use at multiple purification sites. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,486,243 does not adequately address the possibility of recirculation to achieve better purification. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,568,573 provides no means for injection of air, useful to achieve better purification rates. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,673,129 does not create a serpentine flow pattern, exacerbating the need for recirculation, injection of air, or other methods to improve purification results. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,858,790 B2 is similarly too large and heavy to be transported between sites, making its utility rather limited. The system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,902,637 relies on many stages prior to and beyond electrocoagulation, which may be equipment, time, or labor intensive in achieving desired purification.
Perhaps one of the most significant problems that well operators have faced is the equipment bulk and capital investment required for what will very often be a temporary operating site. While the typical fracking well may have an operational lifespan of anywhere from 20-40 years, the ongoing controversies surrounding the practice make that lifespan highly uncertain. Dependent on the state or other jurisdictions empowered to regulate the practice, operators of such wells must constantly be wary of the possibility of regulations, restrictions, moratoria, or outright bans on the practice. Even without this risk, it is of course always desirable to invest less capital so long as the same level of quality and safety results can be achieved. The proper cleaning and repurposing of fracking fluid typically relies on huge pieces of equipment that may be assembled on-site, may be installed for the operational life of the well, and may require full dismantling to be removed when a well closes, for whatever reason. To that end, a system that can be transported between well sites without any disassembly or reassembly, perhaps accruing substantial cost savings in both capital and labor, is desirable.
A second problem faced by operators of such wells is the substantial difficulty in achieving desired levels of purification. Typical systems can succeed in removing about 80% of particulates, suspended solids, and other pollutants from fracking effluent as it is run through those systems. Obviously, a higher degree of purification may be desired. Typical systems may ignore this desire and accept suboptimal purification; they may also install additional systems which can put the effluent through additional processes. The main issue with all of these approaches is that they lack integration, building in additional costs in both labor and capital. A secondary issue is that additional transfer steps always run the risk of spillage of the still-contaminated effluent. Therefore, a single, fully integrated system which can accomplish desired levels of purification without the transfer of effluent between different systems is desirable.
In addition to the specific issues described above, a wide variety of other problems exist in the field as it stands. These include, but are not limited to, cost of materials, cost of labor, repairs, purification time, and environmental degradation, among others.